TY 2021 IRS 990 e-File Render

efile Public Visual Render ObjectId: 202301949349100920 - Submission: 2023-07-13 TIN: 94-3375380

TY 2021 IRS 990 e-File Render

Name:

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP FOUNDATION

EIN:

94-3375380

Identifier	Return Reference	Explanation
INVESTMENT - LAND, BUILDINGS, AND EQUIP.: BASIS	990PF PART II LINE 11	THE VOLUNTEERS WHO CONTROLLED ESF'S BOOKS FROM 2000 TO 2013 VALUED THREE PIECES OF RAW LAND AT $2,885,000. ESF HAS SEEN NO EVIDENCE THESE PARCELS WERE EVER WORTH EVEN 25% OF THAT. ESF HAS SO FAR BEEN UNABLE TO SELL THESE PARCELS. ESF BELIEVES THE NATOMA STATION PARCEL VALUED AT $1,950,000 IS WORTH $0. IT APPEARS LIKELY THAT ARROYO SECO AND CARBONDALE TOGETHER ARE WORTH LESS THAN $300,000. ESF HAS BEEN ADVISED NOT TO ADJUST THE VALUATION OF ANY PARCEL UNTIL ESF TRANSFERS IT.
OTHER ASSETS	990PF PART II LINE 15	ESF HAS REVIEWED ALL RECORDS AVAILABLE THUS FAR AND CALCULATED THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF INTEREST DUE ON MONIES TAKEN FROM ESF WITHOUT ESF'S KNOWLEDGE OR AUTHORIZATION BY CHRIS VRAME AND HIS AFFILIATED ENTITIES. FROM FORMATION THROUGH OCTOBER 2013, CHRIS VRAME CONTROLLED THE "VOLUNTEERS" WHO PREPARED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR ESF. THOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FAILED TO DISCLOSE MONIES CHRIS VRAME OR HIS AFFILIATES TOOK FROM ESF. THOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS INDICATED, ON LINE 1450, THAT MONIES WERE IN THE "LPL/DB COMBINED ACCTS" THAT WERE NOT THERE. FOLLOWING ESF'S DISCOVERY, VOLUNTEERS CONTROLLED BY CHRIS VRAME DISCLOSED TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF ESF A LINE ITEM 1499 REFLECTING "WITHDRAWAL FOR OTHER INVESTMENT" EQUAL TO -$2,489,284.33. THOSE MONIES HAD BEEN TRANSFERRED TO CHRIS VRAME OR HIS AFFILIATES AT MUCH EARLIER DATES. AS ESF REPORTED ON A PRIOR TAX RETURN, ESF DISCOVERED THESE FALSE STATEMENTS ON OCTOBER 18, 2013.
GENERAL	PAGE 5 PART VII-B LINE 1A (2)	ESF, A FORMER PUBLIC CHARITY, STARTED FILING AS A PRIVATE FOUNDATION IN TAX YEAR 2013. DURING THE TIME CHRIS VRAME TOOK FUNDS FROM ESF, HIS BROTHER, ANTON VRAME, WAS SERVING AS A MEMBER OF ESF'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND AS AN OFFICER OF ESF. THUS, THE "UNAUTHORIZED LOAN" TO INTERESTED PERSONS AS DEFINED BY THE INSTRUCTION FOR FORM 990, WAS PROPERLY DISCLOSED ON SCHEDULE L OF THE 2012 FORM 990. NEITHER ANTON VRAME NOR CHRIS VRAME SERVED AS A BOARD MEMBER OR OFFICER OF ESF SINCE 2013. PER IRC CODE SEC 4946, ESF BELIEVES THAT CHRIS VRAME DOES NOT FIT THE DEFINITION OF A DISQUALIFIED PERSON FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE PRIVATE FOUNDATION FILING REQUIREMENTS. ESF HAS TAKEN LEGAL ACTION FOR THE REPAYMENT OF THE FUNDS TAKEN FROM ESF. PLEASE REFER TO THE STATEMENT ACCOMPANYING "OTHER ASSETS" FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.